Ford

A place in a river or other water where it may be pa ed by man or beast on foot, or by wading. A ford should not be deeper than 3 feet for infantry, 4 feet for cavalry, and 2 1 ⁄ 2 feet for artillery. These limits must be le ened if the stream be swift. A bottom of large stones is bad for cavalry and impracticable for carriages; gravel is the best bottom; a sandy bottom, though good at first, is apt to deepen when many troops pa .